Galgo News

Floods in Cordoba pt 2 - please help the L'Europe des Levriers galgos there

Some of the galgos in the Villa del Rio are under the care and control of L'Europe des Levriers, the French association with whom I work closely and from whom I have adopted my 3 galgas, plus them helping me get my little Podenca Andaluz Bebe from Seville.

Some of their puppies in one bed died, but there are others - Noche, Jade, Scarlette, Pucca - Cristina, Vice President of EDL, went from Madrid down to Cordoba and brought back some of the dogs, who are now in kennels which need paying for.

A week in the life of an animal rescuer in Spain - could you hack it?!

Regular readers will know that wherever possible I praise the fantastic volunteers in Spain who give so much of their time and emotional and physical effort in helping the abandoned and mistreated animals, often at great cost to themselves.

So many stories continue to arrive in my Inbox, not just for help for galgos and podencos but other dogs as well. As I speak, efforts are being made by volunteers to catch a family of podencos, other galgos loose on the streets of several towns.....it is never ending.

This story is one example of a week in the life of a volunteer.

Communicating with Animals -

Last weekend I treated myself to a weekend away - no lying in the sunshine by the side of a pool for me - rather joining half a dozen more animal lovers at a retreat in the woods of the Limousin region of France, for a weekend of learning to talk with animals! Joanne Hull, known as the Pet Psychic, was the tutor and she made the subject thoroughly fascinating and enjoyable. We students even got to practice too.

This is what Joanne's website says about 'talking with animals'.

'Psychic simply means using your intuition on a telepathic level, animal communication is the SIMPLE ability to listen, which to you and me means to become sensitive, to use our intuition, our gut feeling, giving our minds, hearts and souls the permission to fully experience what an animal sees, feels and senses.

Podenco Post is now launched! Save and support the podencos!

Podenco Post is now launched. It will be run on the same lines as Galgo News - goodness knows how I'll find time to do paid writing!!! - so please support the podencos in the same way as you all support the galgos. As Podenco World says - The Great Forgotten.

http://www.podencopost.com
Please add it to your weblinks etc. Give the Podencos publicity too!

Happy Endings, Chiclana - hoping so for their podencos and galgos

Happy Endings is a new association formed in southern Spain in the Chiclana area. Its founder, Margarita Gloersen is Norwegian and has been rescuing starving and injured dogs in the area for some years. This is their story.

'My name is Margarita Gloersen from www.happy-ending-final-feliz.eu in Chiclana de la Frontera, Cádiz.

I have been working with dogs since I arrived Chiclana in 2005. I am from Norway, and when I came I just could not believe my day to day experiences with animals lying in the road, killed by cars and all the others just left to themselves with no chances to survive in the long run. Sooner or later they would become run over by cars, since all the trash bins are alongside the roads.

Dr Guillermo Couto, researching greyhound and galgo diseases

Photo of Guillermo Couto, professor at the Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine, examines Cesca the greyhound on Oct. 11, while another greyhound, Aro, looks on.

Last year I posted about a survey being carried out by Ohio State University into diseases in galgos. I contributed my experience with my galga Karmel and pemphigus foliaceous. Here's a story by Sarah Pfledderer about Dr Guillermo Couto, whose department carried out the research.

Greyhound Action Denmark - helping Greyhounds and Galgos

Lisbeth Mønsted Larsen of Greyhound Action Denmark is another tireless campaigner for improving the life of animals. I asked her to tell me how she got involved with helping the greyhounds and galgos.

'There is not much I can tell you about the galgos adopted throughout Scandinavia. I know people who have adopted galgos and who treat them very well and that the galgos who have found homes here are well looked after. The reason that I can´t say more about that is simply because my involvement with the galgos is more a question of helping them where they are situated in Spain and alerting other people to their plight. I concentrate more on the plight of the racing greyhounds as does my small organisation.

Fermin Perez of Scooby Medina - meet his galgo family

This is a beautiful story of Fermin Perez, the Honorary President of Scooby Medina, and his 6 galgos. Don't forget there are 600 dogs at Scooby Medina, please help them if you can.

One idea is Virtual Adoption, a bit like sponsoring an animal.

Introducing the Sloughi - another amazing sighthound

Through my passion for greyhounds and Spanish galgos, I have learnt about other more unusual breeds of sighthounds, where I have been asked if I can help find new homes. Last year it was the Azawakh, this year it is the Sloughi.

Caroline Mathews of Sloughi Rescue in the UK explains how she got involved with the breed.

'My first rescue Sloughi, Oscar, came to me from a shelter in the UK in 1999. I didnt know about Sloughis at that time and thought that I had a rather unique and beautiful looking Lurcher. A couple of years later I was introduced to the breed and a true love affair was started.

Leticia - Volunteering to Help Galgos & Podencos in Spain

Leticia is another of the unsung heroes of Spain, giving of her time and her emotions to help the galgos and podencos. Sandra Baas of BaasGalgo interview her.

'Hello everybody. My name is Leticia and I have been working for the last few years as a volunteer to help animal associations, and for the last two as a rescuer of galgos from the street. It all started when I was 14 years old, everything I saw in the street with 4 paws I took home to my parents, who watche me and asked 'why do you see them all!'

This is when my concerns about the animal situation in Spain began.